Mummy MOT®

Women are generally very well supported during their pregnancies and deliveries but often report an experience of not being fully prepared for the reality of taking care of a new baby and transitioning into being a mother. I regard women as being in postnatal recovery for at least 12 months, particularly if they are breastfeeding. A breastfeeding woman has a similar hormonal profile to a menopausal woman – reduced oestrogen means that there is less collagen in the tissues, resulting in reduced connective tissue and joint resilience. Most women I see in clinic have an unrealistic time-frame for full recovery and tend to overdo their level of day to day activities or have returned too soon to impact sport.

There are many cultures where women are encouraged to rest and recover for at least 40 days after giving birth – this time is recognised as a potent time for replenishment, where the new mother is fully taken care of so that she can take care of her baby, without a cost to her own health and vitality. Both Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine view this time as crucial in ensuring a woman’s robust long-term health. When a new baby is born, a new mother is born – this mother requires the same tender care as her baby.

Kimberly Johnson highlights the five universal postpartum needs in her book The Fourth Trimester:

1. An Extended Rest Period (healing happens when the body rests)

2. Nourishing Food (ideally prepared and served to the woman by the people who are taking care of her)

3. Loving Touch (therapeutic touch is so helpful in supporting a woman’s body to recover from the enormous changes that happen in pregnancy and during delivery)

4. Presence of Wise Women and Spiritual Companionship (women were never designed to mother in isolation, having other women around who can help to guide a woman with practical advice and emotional support can be so nourishing and soothing for a new mother)

5. Contact with Nature (women are very connected to the earth, being in nature creates an invitation to slow down and to simply be in the moment)

When I am assessing postnatal recovery, the degree to which a woman has been able to tend to these universal needs is a useful guide for identifying areas where there is likely to be depletion or dysfunction. The Mummy MOT® provides a comprehensive assessment of posture, the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and includes screening for any bladder, bowel or sexual dysfunction. This holistic assessment ensures that any advice given around exercise and safe return to previous levels of activity is set at an appropriate pace and rhythm for each women’s individual level of physical recovery and emotional resilience.

The Mummy MOT® is suitable for all women, whether you have had a vaginal or C-section delivery (particularly if it was an emergency C-section and you had already laboured for a long period), as pregnancy alone can take a toll on the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and create dysfunction.

It’s never too late to have an assessment - the Mummy MOT® can be booked for anytime from 6 weeks postnatal.

Mummy MOT®

Fees